Just For The Cameras
by XxSimplyAlicexX
Summary: Realization strikes. The publicity, the fan sites,  the blogs, the heartbreak, the way 'she' practically stopped living when he was gone... I listen closely. "And if she agrees?" The other voice answers carefully, "Fine then. But just for the cameras."
1. Miss Munroe, Would You Care To Join Us?

**I know… I'm starting another story already. I felt bad, because I decided to discontinue **_**Outlaw**_** due to the story not really going anywhere… but I think I have an idea for this story now. It's going to be much more structured, and I hope more sophisticated and serious. I somehow want to segway into more serious fandoms such as **_**The**__**Hunger Games **_**(hint, hint ;D… but don't worry, I'll still write Channy!), and not only will this be good practice, but also a good new story for Sonny and Chad.**

**So, I give you… **_**Just For The Cameras**_**! Hope you enjoy it!**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Sonny's POV_

"Hurry, Sonny, we're going to be on soon!" Tawni chirps at me from backstage while applying a fresh coat of Coco Moco Coco on her lips and making sure the rest of her make-up was camera-ready. "There are only two more times we're doing this, one of them being tonight! It has to be perfect!"

"I'll be there in just a sec! I promise!" I plead while gulping down the remains of my Coke to help me stay awake. Hastily, I unwrap some bubblegum, plop it in my mouth and chew rapidly while reading the cheesy joke on it, not bothering to find the slightest bit of amusement in it.

"We've got thirty seconds!" Tawni says again, forcing me into a short period of panic. "Nico's almost said his closing line!"

"Okay, okay!" I quickly spit the gum back in its wrapper and throw it in the large, black bin of garbage. Not able to find my brush, I comb through my hair with my fingers. "I'm ready now!" I say as I stumble into position next to my best friend who's breathing heavily and unevenly.

"Ten seconds…" she barely gets out the words.

"It'll be okay, Tawni," I assure her.

"Eight… seven… six…"

Tawni bites her lip and closes her eyes, as if she's trying to accept the fact that it's time: _So Random!'s_ fourth season finale. It's miraculous that the show has survived as long as it has, as our audience is decreasing and outgrowing us. Even more amazing, the studio has decided to give us one more year, a fifth season, to wrap things up for good. One year to decide what we're going to do for the rest of our lives. One year to get our affairs in order, and leave the life we've had for almost one-fourth of our existence.

Moving on is probably what's best for all of us, but the problem is, _So Random! _has been all we've had. As desperate as I am to move on, I really don't have much of a plan to survive after this. I suppose I should be out there, auditioning for new parts and roles, but the thought dawns on me: Is acting really what I want to do for the rest of my life? Force myself into another situation similar to the one I've been aching to get out of?

So I can see where Tawni is coming from and why she's so nervous. In fact, the rest of our cast has a similar feeling. It seems as if there's a giant alarm clock upon us, and in just one more short year, it will ring furiously, and that's when we will know that our time is up.

Five more seconds. I use this as the opportunity to at least try to comfort Tawni. "We'll make it through, Tawni."

"Make it through what?" Tawni tries to play dumb, but isn't very convincing. She knows very well what I mean as we're in the same situation.

I take her hand and gently squeeze it, hoping to be comforting. "I promise."

Tawni knows me too well to yank away. She sides of her lips slightly curve upwards, almost a smile if you can call it that, and she nods as if she's thanking me and I accept it. Suddenly, Tawni's slight smile blossoms into a radiant one, showing her dazzling white teeth. But it's not pure: it's forced. And that's how I know it's time.

The announcer's voice booms and echoes throughout the stage. "Give it up for… the cast of S_o Random!_" That's our cue.

Tawni and I walk out to the stage where we meet Nico, Grady, and Zora, as they did the previous sketch. The multi-colored lights are almost blinding, and would stun me if I weren't used to them. Their brilliance beams on me, and tells me that the public is watching. I can't let my fear show, or my unnatural nervousness, or anything of the sort. Instead, I plaster a wide smile on my face and look out into the small live audience.

"So how'd you like tonight's show?" Grady starts off, bursting with excitement. The weak applause of the small live audience is drowned by the recording of a previous, more successful episode's cheers. Again, it's a pure miracle that we're still standing here.

"Yeah, that's what we wanna hear!" Nico jumps, which earns more fake-applause. "Great show, great show!"

"And more to come!" Tawni's preppy voice is now heard. "Haha, we can't wait to start up the new season in a few weeks, and make it an unforgettable one!"

_It will be an unforgettable one, alright._ I think to myself. _Not to mention the last._

"Get ready for new sketches, crazy characters, and more randomness!" I laugh with excitement. "We are SO pumped, you can't imagine!"

It's now Zora's turn to talk, to close the show. At the tender age of sixteen, when I was just starting out, she seems like another sister, as Tawni is to me. She's put away her childish things, such as gnomes and the sarcophagus, and as for the vents, she can't exactly fit into them anymore. I guess she couldn't be eleven forever, but to be only sixteen and to have the same fear of how we're going to survive after the show, I feel bad. The rush of things have caused her to grow up too fast, to not live her childhood to the fullest. To make matters worse, she's probably stronger than the rest of us combined. Drowned in my own thoughts, I barely hear her when she says, "Good night everybody!"

Instinctively, I wave and continue to smile no matter how much my cheeks start to hurt. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nico take off his hat and bow, Grady with his signature childish wave, Tawni blowing a kiss to the camera, and Zora's wave. It's only a matter of time before the curtain falls, and our cast exits backstage.

"Great job guys," I say, praising them, but it's hard to sound so excited. One more season, and we'll be gone, if not forgotten already. "One more year."

"One more year," Nico echoes my words.

"It'll all be good though," I try to raise spirits, as that's what I'm known to do, but like everyone else, I just don't know what to do anymore.

Grady still has a childish charm, but even his voice is slightly serious when he talks. "How about some pizza?"

Everyone grins when they hear this. "There better be some pineapple on it!" I say in a sing-song voice.

Nico fake-sighs, "Okay, okay, fine, we'll get you your own pizza."

"Pineapple is good!" I argue playfully. "Have some taste."

Tawni laughs lightly, "Sonny, you always had questionable taste."

I scoff but smile when I say, "Love you too, Tawni."

"Awh! I love me too!" she jokes around.

We're all laughing as Zora is one step ahead of us, making reservations at our favorite pizza place which seems to be the favorite of many other Californians, in which reservations are necessary. The tradition is still going: having pizza after every show, however we usually order it from the local _Pizza Hut_ and make small talk while eating. Actually going out to eat is like reliving the past where we couldn't care less. And we like it like that.

I smile and sigh at the thought of past pizza nights from years ago, until I'm interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. Marshall. At first I think that he's going to congratulate us on wrapping everything up for this second to last season, but I'm wrong.

"Sonny, Mr. Condor wants you on his office." His voice is quiet, which makes me nervous. But I refuse to get too discouraged so easily.

"Surely it can wait?" I usually wouldn't say this, because it's regarding Mr. Condor, but… "It's Pizza Night. We're going out to eat tonight. And we just got done with the show's fourth finale."

"He insists."

"Am I in trouble?"

"By no means."

"Then why-?"

Tawni, who had obviously been eavesdropping, interrupts me. "Sonny, you should probably go. It's Mr. Condor. Pizza Night can wait. We'll wait for you." The rest of the cast nods, but I don't want to be one to ruin their fun.

"You're right Tawn, it's Mr. Condor, I have to go," I say. "But don't wait for me, I'll catch up later."

"You sure?" she asks.

"Positive."

I watch as the rest of the cast jumps and whoops out of the stage on their way to the parking lot, just like old times. I look at Marshall. "So what's up, exactly?" I ask, wide-eyed.

Marshall just shrugs. "I have honestly no idea, kid. No idea."

I smile at being called 'kid'. "Well, thanks then," I say. "I guess I'll go now. You gonna come with?"

"Eh, I'm just gonna stay here and reminisce," he decides, then looks me in the eye. "One more year, kid. One more year."

I breathe in deeply. "Right."

That's the last word I say before I walk out of the stage, headed to my boss's office.

**~.~.~**

"But you can't do that!" I hear a husky voice almost yell on the other side of the door. It's too familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on who it is. Because of the suspicion, I can't help but lean in closer to hear what's happening. "You can't make her do that!"

"People do this all the time," another male voice insisted, full of power and authority. It must be Mr. Condor. "And it's not like you've never done it before."

"But it was all for publicity! I never actually thought of those people so intimately!" the familiar voice argued. "And they were so Hollywood, they thirsted for publicity, they were so… so… fake! They weren't always like that, but that's what Hollywood did to them! I don't need for that to happen to her! Only someone as selfish as yourself would suggest such an idea!"

"Pardon me? You very well you know why I'm asking this of you," Mr. Condor snaps. "If I were in my right mind at the moment, I would have you fired right now."

"I didn't mean—" the voice starts with apology, but pauses and tries to start again. "With all due respect sir, but by doing this, you're tearing up her _innocence_. I don't want her to turn into something that she obviously isn't."

"Damn it, you've loved her for God knows how long. When you broke up, you used to mope around, you used to threaten to hurt yourself, drinking yourself sick—"

"I'm of the age," the voice shoots back.

"Not at the time you weren't," my boss strikes back at him. "Screw the publicity. That wasn't healthy PERIOD. I'm trying to _help_ you."

"She BROKE me," the voice attacks. "I can't go back to that."

"It wasn't just _you _who was hurt. She practically stopped living when you were gone!" my boss points out. "Getting back together with her, even if it's fake, won't hurt a fly!"

"Me!" the other voice explodes. "It'll hurt me! And her! No matter what happens, she'll always be the girl that broke my heart. And even then, I can still love her with all of the tiny pieces."

"Do you still feel that way?"

There are ten incredibly long seconds of silence. But the voice uneasily responds, "Absolutely not, sir."

"Then this can't hurt anyone," Mr. Condor muses.

"Are you not listening? God forbid that I ever go into heartbreak again, do you _want_ a rerun of _that_?" the voice spats with poison. "And even if she doesn't hurt me first, then I know that in some way, somehow, I will hurt her without meaning to. If it still doesn't happen then, I just know that the press will destroy her. She's just a child!"

"She's twenty-one," my boss points out.

"With no experience," the voice snaps aggressively. From what I've heard so far, I assume that he must be a fellow worker at the studio. It's so familiar: the way one of his sentences flow into another makes you think he's reading off a script, which shows his experience in the business. However, I know no one who'd have the guts to talk this way to his boss and manage to not be killed yet.

"Then this'll benefit her with experience then! Did you think she was going to stay so pure for so long? She's an _actress_ in _Hollywood_. You need to understand that this is a dog-eat-dog world. Surely, she'd have to be exposed to something like this eventually!" my boss tries to make a point.

"This'll crush her: the gossipers, the bloggers, the sick, sleazy paparazzi with their stupid stories trying to make a buck or two!" the voice rises in volume to the point where he's screaming, and it almost scares me, but I still listen attentively. "When they're on you every second of the fucking day and you can't do shit about it, so you change yourself to be press-ready so much that you can't even look in the mirror and say that that's the real fucking you!"

"Language!" my boss scolds sharply at the same volume, then continues normally in a much calmer tone. "She is an adult and is perfectly capable of controlling herself, and look at how long she's been here and hasn't let this town change her a bit. Even if it changes her, it'll be for the better, I bet. She'll be perfectly normal, just like everyone else in Hollywood."

"I don't want her to turn into 'everyone else in Hollywood'! I want her to be herself. I don't want her to become some selfish, ignorant snob that doesn't care about anyone or anything else… like… like…" the voice pauses, struggling to find the right word, and when it does, bursts with a conclusion. "Me! I don't want her to turn into ME. She'll be ruined just like all the other sluts in Hollywood."

"Name one example of when something like this happened," he challenges.

"Remember Marta? Two year fake relationship and she thought otherwise? Now that she's out of jail for attempted murder, I've heard she's found herself a way into prostitution," the anonymous voice says in a way that shows his point clearly. "I _refuse_ to have any part in this little set-up you want. I refuse to take that risk."

"That's different. She didn't know it was fake."

"You're right. If she knew it was fake, it'd probably be worse," the husky voice pointed out.

More silence.

Mr. Condor sighs heavily. "I see where you're getting at, but let's face it. Ratings and viewers have been down for quite some time now, and continue to plummet. I should have very well fired you months ago, but I didn't have the heart to."

"I'm not seeing how my lack of viewers is relating to your little proposal."

"What I'm saying is that your show was at its highest when you were with _her_. Not Marta. Not Chastity. But _her_. And hell, if it can happen again, we'll be back on top in no time!" he claps. "This whole forbidden romance thing was great, and if I do say so myself, you two made a great couple."

When the other voice ceases to respond, Mr. Condor continues. "Look. Your show is on its last leg. And in five, ten, fifteen years, you know you're not going to be here. But as for right now, you have no idea what the hell you're going to do to be useful after this."

"I'm looking for more acting jobs. I auditioned for some upcoming movies… I think that's the best way to go."

"And have you been hired?"

"…Not yet, sir."

Mr. Condor sighs again. "The season finale for _your_ show is in three months. An eleventh season is anything but guaranteed, but you know it's essential to have one if you want to be safe. If you can do this publicity stunt for just long enough to get your future planned out, it'll boost both of your careers and get you on the right path! How can you pass up such an opportunity? With her, you're alluring and fascinating… something no one has thought of you for years!"

"She broke up with me because of my stupidity. It's all MY fault. But she's the one that made me crumble in the end! I was stupid to think that she could ever be right for me. She made me weak and blinded!" the voice cries out.

"_She_ caused a spark of interest that has caused the inferno it did years ago. We're talking fan sites, fan pages, blogs… dedicated to just you two. Ratings skyrocketed, you were getting acting jobs left and right, she was getting as much attention as you were… why not rekindle the fire?"

"…Before agreeing to anything, I want to hear her opinion first."

"And if she agrees?"

There's another silence.

Finally, the other voice speaks again, his voice heavy and unsure. "Fine then. But just for the cameras."

"Just for the cameras. I guess now we just need the agreement from her." Mr. Condor agrees, but I still don't know what he's talking about. "Miss Munroe, would you care to join us?"

The sound of my name sends a chill through my spine. Had I been caught eavesdropping? Had I moved or made a sound? Being so intrigued in the conversation, I hadn't been paying much attention to what I do self-cautiously. I straighten my back, as I had been leaning against the wall near the door, and shyly turn the door knob to let myself into the dimly lit office.

As I walk into the room, I know exactly what to expect: the polished hard wood floors, the hand woven rug in the center of the room, the wood carvings and murals on each wall, the priceless chandelier hanging from the ceiling, even the marble gargoyle-like sculptures on each side of Mr. Condor's glossy mahogany desk. It's plain to see that money is no object in the eyes of the head of the studio. But that's not what gave the room its character. It was the lack of windows in the room that was quite terrifying, like a prison cell. And with the only light source being a dainty, antique lamp in the corner of the desk, you had every right to be mortified. In other words, the room matches Mr. Condor's personality quite well: rich, powerful, and very intimidating.

But it's not just the room or Mr. Condor that makes me feel queasy. As Mr. Condor gestures for me to take a seat in the vacant, red velvet chair on the other side of the desk, I notice a person sitting in the other chair next to mine. It's the owner of the voice that had been talking to my boss. It's the set of ocean blue eyes that lock on me when I step foot in the room. And the one person I've been trying like hell to get out of my mind for years.

My ex-boyfriend, Chad Dylan Cooper.

Realization suddenly strikes, and I can't believe I didn't figure it out before. The talk of publicity, lack of viewers, the fan sites, the blogs, the heartbreak, the way 'she' practically stopped living when he was gone… I know Mr. Condor's plan. He knows I know. Yet I wait for him to tell me, on the slight chance that I'm wrong. But in a few moments, my suspicions are confirmed.

"What do you think about having a fake relationship with Chad?"

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

**So… what'd you think? Tell me by reviewing below, because I really want to hear your opinions about this! It really helps me learn and grow as a writer, and I would love to have everyone voice their thoughts and help me AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! I have a pretty good feeling about this so far… it's just so different. It's a much more serious story than my other ones, and my first multi-chapter that takes place AFTER the relationship, rather than before.**

**Again, thanks so much for reading! And Merry Christmas! :D**


	2. Forever Ended Three Months Ago, Chad

**Hey guys! Aw… so happy that you guys are liking this! I'm thrilled with the positive feedback, and because I have some extra time, I decided to start on another chapter! I'm supposed to be updating **_**Smile**_**, but I had another idea for this… so enjoy!**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Sonny's POV_

No. It wasn't possible. It was incomprehensible and it just didn't make sense. The whole idea was insane. Of all people in the world that I could be asked to have a relationship with, even a fake one, it had to be Chad Dylan Cooper.

And I know exactly how crazy the whole idea is when I actually start to think about it. A fake relationship with the guy I once was inseparable from. Pretending to think of a guy the way I thought of him a few short years ago. It's extremely awkward sometimes, because we work so closely together and we see each other quite often, we just have a strong lack of communication. Yeah, sometimes we'll nod at each other, maybe talk about the weather, but it wasn't the same, relaxed feeling. I want to say I regret breaking up with him, but I can't. He still seems a little more irked about the whole situation though. You'd think after four years, he'd be more mature about this.

But maybe it wasn't just the break-up that really did it. Perhaps he doesn't remember it, because it was so long ago, but I know I'll never forget it. Rather than listening to Mr. Condor explain his plan to me, my mind wanders back to the day that may haunt me forever.

It was a few months after our break-up, and things between Chad and me were okay-ish… not exactly. At least then we had enough dignity to speak to each other, and we were on somewhat good terms with each other. But what Chad did that day was unacceptable, and I couldn't believe him.

I stomped out of the _Mackenzie Falls_ set hoping that I would hear the last of it, but I could hear his fancy Italian shoes of his click on the hard floor behind me. "Sonny! Wait, I can explain!" I heard his frantic voice call out my name as the pace of his footsteps accelerated.

I turned around just to get this over with. "There's nothing to explain, Chad! I know you're not sorry, you NEVER are. But for once in your life, can you accept the fact that not everything is about YOU?"

His face is shocked. "You think I did this for ME? I'm trying to protect you! The guy's an asshole, and he's just going to use you!"

"You think this HE'S the asshole? He's not the one who threatened my _boyfriend_ when he put his arm around me!" I argued. "He's not the one that interrupted our kiss today!"

"Kiss? More like a soft-core porn show! I never did THAT with you!" he shouted.

"What's your point?" I questioned furiously.

"My point is that he's trying to mess around with you, I just know it! And if I didn't push him away, his slimy lips would still be all over you!" Chad snapped. "Wonder how good lover boy can kiss you when his lips are swelled up..."

"Stop it!" I yelled. "Why are you doing this, Chad? What did he ever do to you?"

"Nothing Sonny, it's just that I know his type! He's just going to break your heart! A guy with a reputation like his… with YOU? He's just going to break you! Last I heard, the guy makes up a fake abusive wife every Friday night just to get some. It's disgusting."

"What? You know absolutely nothing about him!" I said. "You think he's a heartbreaker like... like… like YOU?" I felt bad when I said these words, but he deserved it. "I know that he'll never try to hurt me and that he cares about me. And I think… I think I love him."

Chad almost choked. "In _love_? With… with him? It's been one month, Sonny, you don't know what you feel right now. You don't know what you're doing! What do _you_ know about love?"

"I don't care about your opinion, Chad," I snapped, avoiding his question. "You're acting like we're still together, and we're not! We've moved on! You have a girlfriend now, and you're perfectly happy! I just wanna feel the same way with Danny! And the only way that I can is if you leave me alone and _get out of my life_."

"I'm telling you, he is BAD news. Why can't you just listen to me and save yourself while you can?" he shouted at me.

"Why do you even care anymore? We're done. Over," I pointed out.

"Just because we're not a couple anymore doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore!" His blue eyes looked hurt when he said, "I vowed to you that I'd keep you safe. And in turn, you'd love me. _Forever_."

"That's something that all couples say," I snapped.

"Yet when Danny says it, it's genuine?" he pointed out.

"Just give it up, Chad! I don't get why you try in the first place! We're done. I don't act like this when you're making out with Chloe!"

He ignored my remark about his new on-and-off camera girlfriend. "What happened to forever, Sonny? Tell me."

There was a hush that fell between us that gave me goose bumps as he looked at me with those deep blue eyes of his, waiting for an answer. The tension almost killed me, and I could feel my eyes blur with tears, but I didn't dare let them spill. "Forever ended three months ago."

And before he could respond, I ran back to my dressing room before I could do something stupid like cry.

My mind snaps back to reality when I hear Mr. Condor say, "—which is exactly why I think that you two should get together."

Drowned in my thoughts, I'm almost in shock when I hear my boss conclude his proposal and wait for my response. Somehow, I manage to say, "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not ready for a relationship… even a fake one."

"HAH!" Chad explodes, his attention on Mr. Condor. "Case closed. We're not doing this." I can't help but be fascinated by his reaction, being it the first time I've seen him up-close in a long time. For one thing, his voice has definitely changed, being deeper and smoother. His dirty blonde hair is definitely longer now, like it was when I first met him. His face contains stubble, and there are dark circles under his blue eyes that show lack of sleep.

"Allison," Mr. Condor grabs my attention by the sound of my real name. "I don't think you realize the potential it has for both of your careers."

I feel the need to explain. "It's just that I barely got out of a relationship, and I don't know if I could handle a new one."

"Allison, Allison…" Mr. Condor chuckles nervously. "You don't realize how much we need this. With your show in its last year, _Mackenzie Falls_ on its last leg… the studio is crumbling as we speak." _A little hard to imagine with all of these luxuries in here,_ I think. "And to think that here, in front of me, we have the most famous stars from both of our most successful shows as of _right now_. God help us if you don't agree."

Well, that's a lot of pressure. "Well…"

Chad interrupts me, but the way he does it is in a way as if I don't exist with his full attention on our boss. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, because he often did this: grabbing my attention without seeming to try. "I didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat for this idea," he grumbles.

Mr. Condor shushes him before he can say anything else and motions for me to continue my train of thought.

"Just… well…" I sigh, and try to begin again. "With all due respect, Mr. Condor," I say flatly, knowing that Chad had said this before to gain forgiveness from him. "But we're so busy over at _So Random!_, trying to come up with new material for the final season and all. I'm struggling to stay awake half the time as I explore new jobs, try to sort everything out… it's just been difficult. I don't know if I can complicate things more with a relationship just for show."

"She's not ready," Chad's rough voice brings up immediately. "I told you. We should just forget about the whole thing."

"_Sonny_," Mr. Condor looks at me. "Just hear me out. We can try out this couple thing for a few weeks, and if it causes hype, then just go with it for a few months, that's all I ask. Bottom line is that it's fake, and if all goes well, it'll only be a couple of months. If things are bad, then it'll only be a matter of weeks. No one has anything to lose."

I hesitate as I think through this. "Just a few months…?"

"And then, we can call it off," Mr. Condor promises. "I mean, Kim Kardashian had a marriage for seventy-two days. A relationship for a few months that could break off any minute is perfectly legit. A few dates, a kiss on the cheek, a source 'leaking details'… it's as easy as pie! More views, higher ratings, more money, more time. I don't see how this will fail."

"…What does he think?" I ask, avoiding Chad's name. I already know the answer, but I need to buy time to soak up this information.

"I said that—" Chad starts, but Mr. Condor interrupts him.

"Chad has already agreed to do this," Mr. Condor states professionally. "Of course, if you agree to do this. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

_Though you're not giving me much of a choice,_ I think.

I take a deep breath. "I think…"

But before I can make a decision, the song _I Just Wanna Run_ by The Downtown Fiction starts playing out of nowhere (that right, no more mooing cow for me) at an alarming volume, and I literally jump up from my seat in surprise. I hastily take out my phone out of my back pocket and check the number. A random jumble of numbers I don't know of. A person definitely not on my contact list. I know I should just ignore it, but I'd do anything to get out of this situation, even for a minute.

"I'm sorry," I apologize quickly to my boss. "But I have to take this."

His muscles are tense, and I know he's getting frustrated by me beating around the bush, but luckily, I have the upper hand in this situation, and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the chance of my answer being yes. "By all means," he says steadily.

"Thank you," I mouth, before getting out of the chair and walking a respectable distance away from the desk, my boss, and my ex. I put my cell to my ear and answer. "Hello?"

"I'm so sorry, I swear babe," a deep, ragged voice pleads to me, and I know exactly who it is. I groan.

"I thought I blocked your number!" I yell in a hushed tone, knowing very well that both my boss and ex could hear me clearly.

"You did, so I got a new number," he replies easily. "Please let me just say something."

"Save your breath," I say. I'm about to hang up, but his frantic voice stops me.

"Lemme explain, babe. Please, baby, please. You know I love you," he pleads again.

"There's nothing to explain!" I insist. "My dad cheated on my mom when I was young, and it _crushed_ her. I refuse to give you another chance!"

"But Sunshine," he starts, and it almost kills me, because my dad was the one that came up with the nickname, and the more unforgiving I feel. "…I love you. I made a mistake, and I would take it back if I could, I swear. It's over between me and Brit, I promise!"

"Brit? I thought it was Michelle…" It's when I say those words I realize what a dick he is. "Oh my God… I WAS SO STUPID!"

Just a slip of the tongue gave him up. "Her too," he says quickly. "But you're the only one I've ever cared about, I swear babe. I love you."

"No, you don't. All this time, you just wanted to get in my pants! To think that I—"

He interrupts me, "Babe, you're the only one that I cared about!"

"Says the guy that finds a new goddess every weekend," I accuse quickly. "You are a player, a heartbreaker… I can't believe I didn't see it before!"

"Babe—"

"DON'T call me back," I say, before I hang up. I mutter under my breath, "Sometimes, I just…" But when I look up, I realize how loud I was. My boss had obviously been listening, as his full attention is on me and my phone. But I'm not too worried about my boss: it's Chad's reaction that makes me completely regretful. For one thing, his undivided attention is on me, and I don't know what exactly to think of it. Probably to just taunt me. I could just picture his and his arrogant voice saying _I told you so._

"I don't want to be too forward," Mr. Condor starts. "But what are you thinking?"

As I stuff my phone back into my pocket and sit back down next to Chad, I can feel his eyes locked on me, making me self-cautious. I clear up my throat and confidently say, "I'll do it."

Mr. Condor's eyes widen. "Really?"

I squeeze my eyelids shut as I'm about to make the final decision. "Really."

He seems surprised that I said yes, and he seems grateful. I just hope that it's not something I'm going to regret. "So? Shake on it then," he gestures to me and Chad.

"Chad?" my voice is soft now, as I face him, just to find that he's already looking at me. As I look into his blue eyes, I put my hand out carefully. "So it's a deal," I say to him, the first interaction we've had in a while.

He clears his throat, and cautiously places his hand and mine and grips it professionally, shaking slowly. "Deal."

The moment I let go of Chad, Mr. Condor speaks, "You both are excused."

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

**Sorry, I feel like I kinda rushed some scenes in this, but I'm pretty happy that I got it done. I'm trying to make these chapters a little longer than I usually do, so it's like you're actually reading something, not like a side-ad on YouTube. Other than that, I'm pretty satisfied.**

**But… what are your thoughts? Review below and tell me! I'm super grateful of all of your opinions, and I'm mega-excited for this story to take off. Two chapters within a few days, I'm feeling pretty accomplished.**

**As always, thanks for reading, and I hope to update soon!**


	3. I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, What's Your Name?

**I finally found time! Oh yeah, I feel like I've accomplished something. I've got new ideas for this story too, but I have to express them in future chapters, because if I randomly started talking about one of my ideas now, you would all be confused and it would not make any sense. Just the heads up, haha. And I hope to update **_**Smile **_**soon, for any readers who read that story, and possibly an Annie/Finnick one-shot for THG fans. Just to tell you what I've been working on lately!**

**Anyways, enjoy this next chapter! **

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Sonny's POV_

"I- I think I love her."

It's lunchtime, and too often I've been depending on a can of Coke to get me through the morning, so instead, I switch to a small cup black coffee with a container of frozen yogurt on the side. I even put multi-colored sprinkles on it to spice up the look a bit. As a take a sip of my drink, I look up at Grady who's twirling an engagement ring in his hands. "That's so sweet, Grady. And I'm sure Mel feels the same," I smile.

Mel, his girlfriend of three years solid. Well, as of tonight.

Tawni, twirling her hair and taking a bite of her fluffy, pink yogurt urges Grady to spill. "C'mon, tell us the deets! Tell us the deets!" she giggles. "Like, when are you going to propose?"

"Well, tonight's our three year anniversary as most of you know…" Grady starts, looking at Tawni specifically (as Tawni is quite the matchmaker). "And I figured, why not propose tonight? It's not exactly a foreign idea, I mean, we've talked about settling down together, what our future is going to be… I just think that maybe tonight's the night."

"That's my homeboy," Nico chuckles as he gives Grady a fist bump.

"I've got to make this _perfect_, though," Grady says. "I'm taking her out to that one sushi place on Ventura Boulevard. I've heard it's legit. I've already got reservations."

"Mm," I say in agreement, but I don't push it. I know the place well: the sushi place that Chad took me out to on our first date. "It's pretty expensive."

"We would know," the rest of my cast is a chorus of mumbles. I almost laugh, because only now do I remember that they had to pay the bill, but I refrain from it. Chad is the last thing I need on my mind at the moment, and really, I don't want to complicate things.

"Anyways, you'll do great, Grady," I say. "She'll love it."

"Thanks Sonny," he smiles at me.

"No problem," I say as I finish eating the rest of my yogurt. I look up at him and smile. At least one person in our group will get that happily ever after.

We're supposed to be coming up with at least five new sketch ideas for the upcoming season, but being our age now, it's hard to think like a kid again and appreciate the slapstick humor that _So Random! _is known for. Plus, every time one of us does come up with an idea, it's either not good enough or we've already done it. So, it usually leads us to talking about our personal lives and sleepless nights trying to come up with one good idea. As if we didn't have enough on our minds already.

For me, I guess it's not too complicated, just exhausting. With my mom back in Wisconsin, I'm supposed to sell her (or our, I guess I should say) old, run-down apartment and move closer to the richer side of town, where more movie jobs are, and if I'm interested, a promising Fine Arts college.

Yes. Selling an apartment in a horrible economy, a cheating boyfriend (who though I've called it off many times, thinks we're still together), lack of interest in my job, and a possible fake relationship with a guy I haven't spoken to for almost as long as I could remember. Simple, right?

I debate whether I should tell them about Chad and me. I mean, I guess I will have to eventually and explain myself, why I'd rush into a relationship so fast after Danny cheating on me and all. Why did I agree so quickly in the first place? Was it because of the pressure of Mr. Condor? Being self-cautious because I was around Chad? Maybe because I just wanted to show Danny that I was much more than a piece in his little game?

I don't even know anymore.

"Ahem," I suddenly hear. I can't tell who it is exactly, but by the strong smell of freshly grilled steak, I have a sneaking suspicion of who it is. His voice is much lighter and polite today. "Would it be too much to steal Sonny away from you for a moment?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Pooper?" Zora's voice pipes up, still skeptical about 'the enemy'. The sound of it surprises me, because this is really her first comment in the entire conversation we've had. She often does this: makes me think she's non-existent until she speaks.

I'm surprised at how much self control Chad has when he says in a nicer manner, "I hope for it to just be a moment, if you don't mind."

Zora's about to talk again, but Tawni speaks before she can start. "Actually," she looks at all of our cast mates. "We were just leaving." She stands up taking her frilly, bedazzled pink purse of hers and flipping her curly blonde hair. When no one follows her, she stares at everyone else in her naturally intimidating way, and one by one, my cast starts leaving.

"But I'm not done with my burger!" Nico argues, but Tawni says once again, "We're leaving." And that's the end of it. My whole cast gets up from our table and heads to the doorway.

I get up ready to follow, but I feel Chad's grip on my arm, not too tight but definitely firm enough for me to stay. I can't seem to take my eyes off Tawni though: I stare at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?" I mouth.

"Trying to help you!" she mouths back. Before I can protest, she winks at me in a flirty way, her eyes darting from me and Chad, then leaves. Sometimes, I can really hate that girl and her matchmaking skills. Of course, Tawni was devastated when Channy broke up and all, and I know she'd be overjoyed if we got together. Even if it's not real… But, Tawni will be Tawni. I sigh.

As I sit back down, I feel Chad's hand let go of my arm and I watch as he sits in front of me, his fancy gold tray containing steak, rolls shaped like roses, a side mashed potatoes with melted butter on it, a separate small bowl of some fancy red sauce I can't exactly identify (cranberries?), and a small plate of chocolate truffles. Definitely much for a show 'on its last leg'. I must've been drooling or something, because Chad says, "Take some, take whatever you want." He says it so casually, like we're regular friends or something, that it almost stuns me.

"I'm not hungry," I insist. "I just had some coffee and fro-yo. I'm good." Of course, that's the time when my stomach decides to make the sound of a dying whale, which makes Chad smirk and lock me in his deep blue eyes. "You know you want some."

"Y-you sure?" I stutter. Because that's me, cool as a cucumber.

He shrugs as he pushes the tray more towards me. "Of course, half of it is for you anyways. You can't live on frozen yogurt and coffee forever, Munroe." I snap back into reality as his eyes drift off from mine and to his utensils.

"Eh," I say. "It's not _too_ bad."

He chuckles when he says, "Really, Sonny? Really?"

I'm hesitant as I take one of the small, rose shaped rolls and carefully bite it. Mm. Freshly baked. I go in for a quick second bite as Chad starts cutting his steak. "Do you mind?" I ask as a pick up his spoon and look at his mashed potatoes.

"Go ahead," he says. "You need to put the sauce on it, though. Get the full effect."

I take his word for it as I get the sauce on my spoon and pour it carefully on the potatoes. When I taste it, I realize it isn't cranberry, but a sweeter and richer fruit. A taste that makes me feel all tingly in my mouth, and it's pleasant. "What is this exactly?" I ask.

As Chad wipes the steak sauce from his lips, he explains. "Remember the Loganberry smoothies? Same stuff. Only available one fortnight a year."

"It's good stuff," I say.

"Mind if I try?" he asks.

"Go ahead, it's your food," I say, leaving the spoon in the bowl and pushing it towards him.

"Hah," he says, while he takes a bite of the mashed potatoes. "You can have the rest of the steak, too. Brenda gave me enough for the both of us after all."

I smile, "Well, thank you, Brenda. Because of her, we have quite the feast." Even though it's probably nothing compared to most _Mackenzie Falls_ meals.

Pretty soon, I find myself eating the last creamy chocolate truffle. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the _Falls_' table without its leader at the head of the table. That did leave the question, why is he here? I guess my question will be answered soon, because Chad begins the conversation as he pushes the tray to the side of us. "So, um, Sonny… we need to talk."

"Right. About last night—" I start, but he interrupts me.

"I'm perfectly fine with the fake-dating thing, I'll say. But I think that we should start by catching up and becoming friends, you know. Telling each other of current events and all," Chad says. "I mean, I want to make this as realistic as possible, and it wouldn't be very believable if I know nothing about you. You know, some lunches together, maybe some nights to just hang out, go watch a movie… not a date per say. Just hang out as two friends… if you get what I mean."

I try to process his words. When I can't find words to say, Chad continues. "And, you know, these could be in public or private: whatever you find comfortable. I mean, I don't want to put pressure on you or anything, and if I do anything wrong ever, just let me know and we can give it up, and we'll go back to our old ways. It's not going to be like this forever, but for the time we are going to do it, we might as well make the best of it, right?"

I've forgotten how good Chad could be with words. "Wow" is all I can manage to say. Then I add a little more, after my brain has absorbed all this information. "That's… very smart, actually. Mature, actually. And I completely agree. I think we should begin fresh."

"Fair enough," Chad says. "Hey, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper. What's your name?"

"Sonny Munroe."

"Nice name."

"Thanks."

It only takes a few moments to realize how silly it is and start to laugh. Even if we haven't communicated in so long, we still know each other, in ways that some of our friends wouldn't dream of. And I guess to be introducing ourselves in front of the other after sharing a meal and having the past that we've had… it's just not right. "Okay, new strategy," I say. "Questions."

"Well then, I guess I'll start easy," Chad says. "How's the Funny Hut?"

Easy question. Easy answer. I guess it's best to take baby steps for now. "It's been better," I admit. Grady may be proposing tonight, but that's about as much excitement we've had."

He smiles, genuinely, probably happy that someone is doing something outside of the studio other than begging for a job. "Congrats to him them. Mel's the lucky girl, isn't that her name? Waitress at that little outdoor restaurant?"

"Correct," I say. "They make a cute couple."

"Sure," he agrees. "Though I haven't been around either one to know exactly, but okay. I guess they're a good pair. Mel has always struck me as the open-minded, intelligent one, the one who always is honest and somehow knows everything. Grady is very free with his life, kind of careless and naïve. Like Mel keeps him stable and Grady keeps her life more exciting. Like they need each other."

The way Chad speaks is so fluent and smooth, even with his voice a little rougher and mature than it was when he was seventeen. If I didn't know him, I would say he was Grady's best friend. "I guess it's like that with every couple," I point out. "One always is protecting the other and brings out the best of each other."

"Exactly," he agrees.

It's only then that I realize what a real trick this will be. Never mind the awkwardness, what about just pretending anyways? I mean, Chad and I had been 'in love (shall we say)' once upon a time ago, but that was such a long time ago when we didn't have to pretend. But making it look believable or else? I have to think about the cheesy teenage girl sitcoms about girls supposedly being in love, or _The Twilight Saga_ and how Bella always felt incomplete without Edward, or how in _The Last Song_ movie, Miley Cyrus started falling in love with Liam Hemsworth. This'll be a real act.

I decide to change the subject. "So how is it going at the Falls?"

He slightly hesitates, but gives me a direct answer. "Not very good exactly. Still fighting for another season. Just broke up with Chas, but it was a publicity stunt, nothing major and we're still friends. Most of us are trying to find new jobs in the meantime. I, for one, might even to go college," he chuckles at the thought. "I've been auditioning for movies recently, going for more adult roles. I can't be a seventeen-year-old rich kid forever."

"Unless you're Edward Cullen," I say, and smile slightly. "What do you plan on studying? In college, I mean?"

At first, he cocks an eyebrow, wondering if I really want to know, but doesn't answer himself and tells me anyways. "Well, I love to act, no doubt, but rather than being in front of the camera, I wonder what it's like being behind it, calling the shots and all. I'm pretty handy with a regular camcorder I guess, and most of the _Mackenzie Falls_ stars have YouTube channels, so it's not a foreign concept. If I got my hands on a _real_ camera with every function and all, the high tech ones that you need a truck to carry… _that_ would be amazing."

"I'm sure you could get into a college like that. Especially with your experience," I say. "After all, you directed your movie, didn't you?"

He chuckles at this too. "Hah, I was just a kid, doing it all for fun and games. I guess that would help me get into a college, because of experience, but it's still not the same. I have a YouTube account, not that I post videos regularly, and there aren't many things for me to film and post that would be use to anyone's time. Except for maybe promoting _Mackenzie Falls_."

"Hmm," I say. Seems like we're both in similar situations after all. Even if _Mackenzie Falls _has remained successful for about six more years than us, and doesn't have to suffer a lunch that just screams 'stomach flu' all over your plate. "So you said that you went out with… who's Chastity?"

"Excuse me," Chad says, starting to explain something. "It's Chloe. Her real name's Chastity. We usually call her Chloe because it helps us stay more in character. Actually, we call basically everyone by their on-screen name, which could be a little confusing sometimes."

"Oh," I say, feeling a teeny bit bad for calling his cast by their wrong names all this time. "Weird, why don't they call you Mackenzie?"

"Please. I'm very versatile and talented. You don't need to call me by my stage name to get a spectacular performance out of me. I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, the—"

"Greatest actor of our generation," I finish his sentence, laughing. And he laughs with me, which assures me that he's been joking about the talent and all, meaning he's not as stuck-up as he was just a few years ago when we first met, which I can't decide whether I like or not.

"See how good we'll be? Like all good couples, you can already finish my sentences," he chuckles.

I smile. "I guess you're right."

I guess this conversation wasn't half bad, avoiding the touchy topics was a definite good idea. No Danny, nothing of our past relationship, just a brand new, fresh start. So I continue, "I guess we've dropped the enemy part of 'frienemies', have we?"

He considers this. "No, I hate you," he says playfully. Then his voice is normal again, with warmth. "I guess so. Friends, then?" This time, it's him who holds out his hand for me to shake.

I lift my hands from my lap to close the deal. "Friends. I guess we have a lot to catch up on, then."

"I'd guess so," he says. "First thing's first, what's your number?"

I struggle as I get out a scrap of paper in my purse and scribble down my number, hoping it's legible. Chad rips the paper in half, keeping the half with my number and writing down his own number, then handing it to me. "Here," he says. "We'll have to get together, soon." Suddenly he checks his watch, then the empty _Mackenzie Falls_ table. "Excuse me, but at the moment, I should be getting to rehearsal."

"I probably should be on my way too," I say, as I watch him getting out of his chair, I grab my purse, get up, and scoot in my chair. "Nice talking to you though."

"You too, Munroe," he smiles, right before he leaves.

Once he leaves, I immediately take out the scrap of paper with his number on it and automatically take out my phone, ready to add a new contact.

That's when I realize I never deleted his number in the first place.

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

**So… that's it! As always, thanks for reading, because I really appreciate that you guys still read my stuff, and tell me what you think by reviewing below! I hope to be writing more soon! Thanks guys!:)**


	4. I Wish I Could Just Read Your Mind!

**I'm back! I'm pretty happy that I've found time now. With my grades in check and virtually no homework because we have another small break coming up for the weekend, I have time to write! Eep, I'm so happy. You probably don't want to hear me yap on and on about this, so here's the next chapter!**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Chad's POV_

"So. How'd it go with Little Miss Sunshine?"

I quickly pop a Loganberry in my mouth and savor the sweetness that bursts in my mouth while looking over the script. I've done this regularly, looking over the script near the snack table, usually because I've been half-awake lately, and rely on food to munch on in order to revive myself. When I look up, I see Chastity in her _Mackenzie Falls_ uniform, grinning hugely at me.

Chastity: co-star, on-screen love interest, (fake) ex-girlfriend, and potentially, one of my closest friends.

"Look," she continues. "I found _this_ in your dressing room when I was trying to find you." She holds up the piece of paper with Sonny's number on it. "Why'd she give you her number?"

"I asked for it," I say.

"Pfft," she almost laughs. "You don't need her number! It's been on your phone for as long as I can remember!"

"Shh… not so loud," I say. "There's a reason why I told you and not Skyler or Ferguson. Mr. Condor said _one person_, and for that person not to tell the whole world. Please tell me, that I can trust you."

She sighs. "But Chaa-aad!" she puts so much emphasis into my name, it comes out as two separate syllables. "Everyone knows that it's no fun to know about something if you won't spill! Sometimes I wish I could just read your mind."

"I prefer not."

"But it'd be so easy."

"I tell you most of what's on my mind anyways."

"But you edit!"

"Not very much."

"It's enough to bug the crap out of me."

I see that she's not going to give up, and really, that I have nothing to lose, so I go on.

"It went… alright, I guess," I say.

Her face turns serious. "What happened? What did she do? What did _you _do?"

"Nothing _bad_ happened. In fact, it was kind of nice. I mean, we haven't spoken to each other in like four… five… six years, so you would expect it to be a little bit awkward, but as far as new beginnings start, it was not bad at all."

"You're being too vague. Just tell me what's on your mind, Chad."

"I don't think I'm being vague at all. We shared a lunch, and then we chatted, nothing special. Talked about life. You know that Grady, the goofy Random, is proposing to his girlfriend tonight?"

She ignores my question. "What did _you _say? About your life?"

"I told her about my directing thing I want to try out. Mess around with a camera or something. And about that college I might want to go to."

"You didn't tell her about your plan of being a family guy?"

"What plan?"

"Don't play stupid with me, you know what I'm talking about."

I sigh. "Well. You don't just bring up randomly in a conversation 'I want to get married someday and have kids'. _Especially _when you haven't talked to the person in God knows how many years. Chas, I don't want to ruin it this time."

"I don't see how having future plans will bring down a relationship."

"Please, if a guy randomly told you that they're looking for marriage AND kids? You'd freak out. Especially after what you thought was 'the love of your life' just cheated on you. You know, I always knew there was something off about that guy."

"So Danny did cheat on her? That's no good," she shakes her head. "But you're wrong. I wouldn't freak out. Actually, I'd think he's sweet. I mean, a guy that's a committed and looking for something rather than fleeing from girl to girl. I'd be flattered, personally."

"Well, if you didn't talk to this guy for six years, you probably would end up avoiding him for the rest of eternity."

"Sonny wouldn't."

I shrug. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. She's changed. I don't know what to think anymore. She's just not… as sunny as she's been anymore. Like she used to be all sweet and smiles, but now she relies on coffee and frozen yogurt to survive. Obviously overworked in some way. She didn't tell me much, if anything, of her life, so she probably has no idea what's going to happen."

"But?"

"But what?"

"C'mon, I see the way you look at her. If you really think about it, Chad, nothing's really changed. I mean, when you two broke up, you both moved on, and it became just like old times. You stare at her. You think about her. Hell, even when we're rehearsing I know you're just _so _close to saying her name instead of Chloe, but you catch yourself. The only two things that have changed are that our jobs are at stake and that Marta's gone."

I remain silent, not able to really respond to her answer, because of how true it was. No, I really hadn't moved on. I had tried like hell, that's even why Mr. Condor suggested for me to fake-date Chastity, but I just couldn't. Sonny Munroe wasn't a forgettable person, and for me, just seeing those brown eyes every day was enough to eat at me from the inside. Yet somehow, after all this time, a friendship was out of line. A relationship a complete fail. But being strangers was practically killing me.

"Do you think she might be the one?" she asks me, when she finds I have nothing to say.

I lick my lips. "To marry? Have a family? That's so far down the road."

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"Well—"

"You're twenty-three, Chad. An average man would probably be engaged now, out of college on normal standards, maybe even having a kid."

"Yes, an AVERAGE man. I'm not an average guy. I'm Chad Dylan Cooper."

"That doesn't mean anything!

"But? I'm in front of cameras all the time, I can't escape the publicity, there's always some new rumor about me in the tabloids, and the last time I had a real relationship was with Sonny. What's ironic is that all this time I've been craving the limelight, and now I'd do anything to get out of it."

Chastity looks at me. "Look, I understand you, but just getting up and leaving right now isn't going to help anybody. We'll get through it, I promise," she grabs my hand and squeezes it in comfort. "Like all good things, it will eventually come to an end. I guess we have to say goodbye for now… Mackenzie."

As she lets go dramatically, I start to chuckle. "Don't be so cheap. Now you're just stealing scenes from our show."

"Well, you missed five minutes of rehearsal. You might as well catch up," she laughs. She smiles as she says, "But it's true. We will be normal again eventually. If we get this last season, we can all find a way to move on during that year, and we'll be ready to face the real world. You just have to do this 'fake'," her fingers make quote gestures when she says fake, "relationship for a while, and we can all start planning. The limelight will move on."

"What do you mean 'fake'?" I mimic her finger motions. "It's as fake as me and you were when we were dating. Completely, 100% fake."

"Don't be so sure," she says. "You stare at her."

"Do not!" I argue, but I know that Chastity is right and she knows it.

However, she doesn't give a straight 'do too!' answer. Instead, she scoffs and says, "Don't be too touchy. She stares at you too."

~.~.~

_Okay, Chad. It's been four, maybe five hours since you asked for her number. Just go ahead and call her already. No, screw calling. Just text her and say hi. You know you're going to have to do it sometime. And what's the big deal? When you two were dating, you would text her like the world would end if you didn't respond after two minutes._

In my dressing room, sitting down on the couch. Even with the _Mackenzie Falls_ reruns playing right in front of me, I don't think about those. No, I just sit there and stare at my phone sitting on the glass table, looking like an idiot. I hear someone enter in, her customary two knocks followed by just letting herself in.

"You probably should text her you know."

"I will."

"How long are you going to take, Grandpa?"

"I'm twenty-three, thank you very much."

"You'll be eighty once you get the guts to talk to her."

"Gee, I love you too."

"Well…" Chastity says. "You've got to do _something_. Just take her to your house and go watch a movie or something. Order some pizza with… she still like pineapple on her pizza right?"

"That's not it," I say. "It's just that… I don't know. It's so awkward and complicated and just…"

"You're totally exaggerating, Chad," she says. "It's not that hard at all. I bet you have her on speed dial already anyways. Just call her and set up something. I do it with, like, Skyler ALL the time. And we just do it because we're friends, not even a couple. Because can you seriously imagine me with Skyler? Disgusting."

"It's still not the point."

"Do you want me to do it for you?"

"That's completely unnecessary."

"Well, if you don't have the BALLS to do it…"

"Don't start with that, Chastity…"

"Well, it had to be said."

"One time, and it's held against you for the rest of your life."

"That's what happens when you try to hit on a girl while using the 'Who's Tony Hawk's brother, Mike Hawk' joke, then you got owned when she said you didn't have any balls."

"So I tried a new flirting technique. I don't see the problem. And she wasn't even that hot."

"Blonde with blue eyes, bikini body, perfect white teeth, hourglass figure, clear skin, Victoria's Secret model? She's dating Adam Levine now."

"I prefer brunettes."

She sighs. "Chad. Just _talk _to her. Honestly, it is _not_ that hard. Just think that you guys are… neighbors. Not even friends, just neighbors. You know, send over a welcome basket, invite her to the community barbeque… That's innocent enough, right?"

Now it's my turn to sigh. "Okay, maybe you're right. I'm overreacting."

"Ya think?"

"Well…"

"Okay, okay, you know that _Mackenzie Falls_ beach on Friday, we're having because… we feel like it I guess? Anyways, you know that one?"

"Yeah…"

"Then invite her! It's just our cast, and we're all like family. We'll just… re-welcome her like we did when you first started dating. Simple! And I suppose you're taking the boat out? We'll have so much fun, I promise!"

I can't believe I'm actually thinking about this. Usually beach parties are very close to us, usually us and whoever we're dating at the time or if family's in town. We started this tradition just about two years ago, and it's been this way ever since. It's a nice way to stay connected, I guess. As everyone's struggling to find a way to provide for themselves when we all do have to leave, it's nice to get together and play some volleyball, go parasailing, drink, and just talk to each other about life. It's very convenient, I guess, but I still can't see someone like Sonny being there, seeing me wrestling Ferguson or sharing a _Sex on the Beach_ with Portlyn (who believe it or not, has the same in real life as she does on the show).

When Chastity sees that I'm still hesitating, she continues. "You and her can go surfing! I know you love to surf. If she doesn't know, you can teach her. If anything goes wrong, just hand her to me. Believe it or not, I actually like her. She seems like the only Random that has been normal since the beginning. Very, extremely happy, but still normal."

I chuckle. "You know, Chas, it takes a little while to get used to your… charm."

"Pish posh. Sunshine and I will get along great, as she will with the entire cast. I'll tell them to be on their best behavior. Oh, Chad, it'll be just great, you have to invite her! It'll be a great start! And seriously, when you were dating, you spent so much time with the Randoms, I thought you were going to join their show. She might as well meet us. And it's nothing to rash."

"Chastity, you're taking this fake relationship too far."

"I know, I know. It's just for the cameras."

"Right."

She just laughs. "But really, Chad, when have I led you wrong?" she asks. I figure that I'm hearing the last of it, but just a split second before she goes out the door, she says one last thing, "Call her."

I stare at my phone. Chastity did have a point. I'm hesitant, but I finally get the nerve to do it. I pick up my phone and press number two, Sonny's speed dial number.

I hear two rings before she picks up. "Hello?"

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

**There it is! I hope you are not disappointed with the lack of Channy in this chapter. This chapter was more of a segway into their second first date (or I guess third, if you count the fake date. Or even fourth if you count Falling For The Falls Part 1 and 2 two different ones! Whoa, they've had a lot of first dates). Plus, I wanted to show the relationship between Chad and Chastity, showing that Chad thinks of Chastity as a sister and how close they are. I think it also shows that Sonny isn't Chad's entire world, nor is Chad completely Sonny's. They are, after all, just fake dating.**

**For now.**

**Anyways, hope you guys liked it! I hope to update soon! See you guys soon!(:**


	5. You Still Like Pineapple On Your Pizza?

**Yeah, I'm back! Sorry, it's been a while. It's just that I've been in school and all, and I really don't want to rush this story: I'm trying to make each chapter of alright length so you won't get done with it in five minutes and so that something actually happens in the story, especially because last chapter was more of a filler.**

**There's Channy in this one! Happy reading!(:**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Sonny's POV_

Twenty Minutes Ago:

"I don't think that'd be the best idea, Chad. Dan— I mean, my ex-boyfriend is still chasing me, I need to pack up, I need to come up with new sketch ideas…"

"Why not? It's fun. Go boating, surfing, we'll make dinner: everything's set up. All you have to do is bring a swimsuit. It's the weekend, Sonny. Two more days until freedom. When was the last time you did something fun?"

"Well…"

"And I mean, we're going to be seeing each other a lot… we should get used to it."

"True…"

"Somehow I'm sensing you're hesitant."

"It's just that… I'm unsure, I guess."

"Look, it's just an open invitation. If you don't want to come, don't answer the door when I knock on Friday, and I'll leave you alone. It's completely optional, and I don't want to force you to do anything you don't wanna do."

I sigh. "Thanks Chad. It means a lot to me."

"Anything for my Shortstack."

This almost catches me off-guard. I hadn't been called Shortstack for almost as long as I could remember. This just tells me how much better Chad is at this fake-dating publicity thing than I am. I guess he's just better at words and speaking more than I am overall, really. There's a short, awkward silence before I quickly say, "Bye, Chad."

~.~.~

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

I'm rummaging through my closet in my dressing room, throwing unnecessary items of clothing out the door. I can imagine that the main room looks like my closet threw up, but I don't care. I can clean it all up later. In the meantime, while I'm searching, I just need to keep Tawni calm. "Trying to find my swimsuit."

"Oh, you're gonna come get a tan with me tomorrow?"

"Not exactly."

"Then why are you trying to find a swimsuit?"

"Chad invited me to go boating with his cast on Friday," I explain quickly, still digging through my clothes.

"Hmm?" she says carefully. "So… like… a date? I sense my work in the cafeteria worked."

"Well, it's not exactly a date."

"Then what is it?"

"Just… hanging out with him? And apparently, his cast."

She scoffs. "Please Sonny. At our age, there's no 'just friends' thing."

"We're 'just friends' with Grady and Nico," I point out.

"Well, Grady's set on marrying Mel, and… well, I don't know about Nico, but one of us with Nico? Ew!" she shudders. "And plus, you don't just randomly get together with someone you haven't even communicated with since forever."

"But isn't it sort of childish?" I say. What else am I supposed to say? _Oh yeah, I'm just going to fake-date Chad for publicity and then leave him again._ "I guess, it's our last year for us, they're fighting for one more year, we might as well just mature now and learn."

She thinks about this, takes a seat on her cheetah-patterned chair and muses. "Something's up. Being Tawni Hart, I'll figure it out. But obviously you don't want to spill right now."

"There's nothing to spill."

"You think you two will get together again?"

"…Possibly?" I say, in the form of a question. I wasn't expecting that question. "I… don't know." I can't give a straight answer. Mr. Condor didn't say I shouldn't tell anyone, but it seemed to be part of the agreement.

"What did he talk to you about during lunch?"

"Why are you even here, Tawni?" I ask, avoiding the question and trying not to sound irritated, but it somehow comes out the wrong way. Tawni doesn't mind it though.

"Well," she starts. "I was on my way home for the day, so I came in here to grab my purse, then I saw that your closet threw up, so I asked you about it and now I'm on my chair talking to you about your potential new boyfriend. I don't think it's very complicated. So, down to business… don't think you can beat around the bush. What'd Lover Boy say to you during lunch today?"

I sigh. Tawni is a very persistent person, and I know that if I didn't tell her anything, she will expect something much worse than it actually is. I'd have to ask Mr. Condor before I say anything about the whole scheme he has set up, but I'd start with the basics. "We shared a lunch. Talked about life."

"Life? Like what?"

"For starters, Chad wants to go into directing. He might even go to college and study it."

"Chad? College? Really?"

"It's possible, I guess. He's really changed. He's not as… cocky as I'd imagine I guess. He's not the same Chad Dylan Cooper, believe it or not."

"I'll take your word for it. He's changed for the better… or the worse?"

I stop digging through the clothes, purely just to think about this. I tilt my head a little and stare off into space, something I usually do when I think. "Both… yet neither. I guess… well, I don't know. It's just not the same. In all fairness, I'm not the exploding ball of sunshine, exactly." I start going through everything again."

"Sonny, no one can ever replace you as that. That's like, your trademark," Tawni says. "It just doesn't work."

"Still, I just don't feel the same as I used to when I was—hah! I finally found it," I pull out a black one-piece with white polka-dots on it, feeling victorious in finally finding my possession. I've had it since I used to live in Wisconsin. You'd think I'd retire it when I got to California, but nope, it's still here. A little taste of home, I guess. There wasn't much a selection though. You can't expect finding the most perfect swim wear in a place where it snows all the time and you're known for cheese. "Triumph," I smile.

"Oh. _Hell_ no," Tawni gasps. "Please, Sonny, are you seriously going to wear that? On a _date_?"

"Again, Tawni, it's not a _date_ per say…"

"Not to mention that the color's faded… it just, looks like something my grandma would wear! You know, if my grandma were eighty with no taste. Blegh!" she shudders. "It doesn't show anything either! I'm surprised it's not a full-out body suit, I mean, it just doesn't look right, Sonny. I bet it doesn't even fit anymore, it's so tiny. When did you buy it?"

I feel my self-esteem drop when I say, "Six years ago."

She looks at me. "No. Thank God I'm here to help you."

She gets up and walks into her closet. I can hear her move a few hangers around, some fabric brushing against others, but other than that, it's pretty organized. Much more than mine. Before long, she comes out with a white, frilly type thing in her hands. When I look at it closer, I see it's in two parts. A strapless top with fabric flowers in the center and a bottom that looks like there's a triangle in the front and back with the bottom corners connected to make it wearable and a string of flowers on either side.

In other words, I might as well go naked.

"You're wearing _this_," she says.

I look at her, with a blank look on my face. "It's not a costume party, Tawn. And even if it were, I wouldn't go as a prostitute."

She groans. "Ugh, Sonny, this is SO YOU. A sexier version of you, but you nonetheless. You can totally use it. In fact keep it! It's in my pile of clothes of things that I thought about wearing that I actually never touched."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll be needing that."

"You need it, sweetie. It's just so… innocent. And really, not me at all. Plus, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity of me letting you take something that I own." She holds it out to me. "I give you my blessing."

"Tawni, I appreciate your generosity, but it's just so… not me," I shrug.

"Oh please, Chad would love it."

"Uh-huh," I say sarcastically.

She shrugs. "Well, it's true. Guys are animals, Sonny. Especially Hollywood guys. And Chad's got quite a rep. It may have quieted down when you guys were dating, but still, he's still a bad boy. And he's been working out too. He's a sex god, practically. Sex. God."

"Ugh, you're gross."

"Well, I have a point."

"What's your point then?"

She sighs in frustration. "What I'm saying is that you're NOT going to go to boating with Chad wearing something that you wore when you were, what, fifteen? You're twenty-one, Sonny. Embrace it."

I look at the clothing article in her hands, hesitant. She, then, tosses it on the couch. "Look," she says. "If you want it, you can take it. I'm not going to push it, because I'm your friend and I know you'll make a good decision, but… okay, yeah. It's an open decision. And you've got two days to choose. Plus, it's just a swimsuit. Not a huge deal." Tawni picks up her bag, and leaves, the click-clack of her high heels going out the hall.

I still don't know what to say as I look down at the out-dated thing in my hands and the bra-and-thong on the couch. Well, there's no question about it. The one piece was the way to go. But when I pick it up to observe it more carefully, I do see Tawni's argument.

There are pros and cons to each. The good thing about the one-piece is that I feel comfortable in it, it's well into my comfort zone that I don't really want to change. It doesn't show too much skin, and it's totally wearable. However, it is faded and for a twenty-one year old, an unflattering cut. Tawni's little prostitute outfit is completely different, but I do admit that there are some benefits. For one thing, it's more 'age-appropriate' for me and it's showy, and I'll say it, I like the way I look in a bikini. Not that I've ever really possessed one…

My phone beeps from my back pocket. Putting the bikini down, I check the text. It's from my real estate agent telling me about one possible costumer. Finally. Except they want the apartment for $100,000 less than stated. It'd be a loss, but it could be a lot worse. I text back that I'll think about it, and ask if my agent can raise it at least $50,000 more, and that I'll continue packing so that this interested person may be able to see that apartment physically. When I get a response back saying that he'd do that, I shove it back into my pocket and stare back at the two swimsuits.

The text snaps me back to reality. I can't believe that I'm actually making such a huge deal about which swimsuit I'm going to choose. Tawni was right: it's just a swimsuit, and I had two whole days to choose. Honestly, I have more things on my mind and I can't afford to spend an hour on something that doesn't really matter in the first place. There's no question about it. I'll go with the one-piece.

But the second I see Tawni shaking her head in my mind, her disappointed look with her Coco Moco Coco lips pursed and her arms crossed, I reach for the bikini, stuff it in my purse, and leave without bothering to clean up the mess behind me.

On the way out, I pick up a granola bar to munch on and a cup of coffee to keep me awake, then I get into my car (well, my MOM'S car: an old, beat-up orange truck which, now that she's gone, I hope to sell soon), planning out the rest of my day mentally as I put the key in to start the car.

Dinner isn't an option, unless I want a dollar meal at McDonald's, but I push away that option as I'm trying to watch my diet. Right now, it's seven o'clock, getting a little dark already. I'd eat and drink on the way to my apartment, I'd pack until ten, try to finish up a sketch idea by eleven, and be in bed by midnight. It should all work out.

If my car wants to start. Why isn't it starting?

I try to start it up again, expecting the engine to naturally roar to life, but it doesn't. I try again. No response. Once more. Nothing. The stupid piece of junk doesn't want to start. And it makes me mad. I get out of the car and kick it like I've seen in movies, and it still doesn't work. I know I'm supposed to be reasonable, but I completely lose my mind as I grab the rest of my boiling hot coffee, take off the lid, and splatter it all over the front of my car. But it does absolutely nothing (as expected), and now, I have no coffee and a car that doesn't work.

"Shit!" I say. It's not like me to swear, but it's not a foreign thing to me. "Damn this car."

"Whoa, Munroe…" I hear a voice behind me. "Let's not get too… colorful."

I turn around and I see Chad, wearing his signature smirk that I haven't seen in a while, and if I were in a good mood, I'd say I miss it. He continues. "I've never seen you swear before, to be honest, and I have to admit, it's quite amusing. Then again, I've also never thought I'd see America's Sweetheart throw coffee on her car."

"I'm not America's Sweetheart anymore," I mutter. "That title is Jennifer's, I think."

"Because Katniss Everdeen is _such _an innocent role."

"You're just mad you didn't get the part of Peeta."

He chuckles, a big hearty laugh from deep in his throat, soft and smooth and sharp and crisp in all the right ways. "Well played. At least we're talking again. Even if it's just this on-going, pointless banter," he gestures at us.

"I guess so."

"It's been a while, I'm a little rusty at this," he chuckles again. "But it'll take no time to adjust again. By the way, I was a SHOO-IN for Peeta. I'm still working out how Hutcherson cheated. He's not even blonde!"

I almost make a cheesy toothy smile, but I force myself not to. The blood boiling underneath my skin that makes me feel alive is nothing. The color that wants to blush on my cheeks is insignificant and childish. The adrenaline I have is something I'll have to shake off. I have to get real here.

The truth is this: I'm not seventeen. I'm not America's Sweetheart, the one with the Romeo/Juliet romance with Chad Dylan Cooper from the rival show, or the one that would spin in frilly dresses at awards ceremonies for paparazzi before getting my acting praised or criticized by people she haven't even met. I'm not all smiles and laughs and big brown eyes. I'm Allison "Sonny" Munroe: mature, capable of managing herself, sophisticated. An adult.

Those blue eyes, the blonde hair, the smirk on his lips… This feeling will die down, it has to. There's nothing he can do to make me fall for him, even if he's not trying to. Why can't we both accept that nothing will ever be the same? It'd be so much easier, and maybe I wouldn't have ever agreed to this mess. For now, I have to dwell on the fact that this is all a game: just for the cameras.

I allow myself a slight, polite grin. "Josh is amazing, just so you know. And if Efron gets the part of Finnick, I'll make fun of you forever."

He sighs sharply, but he's smiling, a mock frustration. "Props to you."

"Props accepted."

Silence. Which makes sense. What was supposed to happen now? A confession of feelings toward each other like in the movies? But I feel nothing for him. Him to just speed away in his glossy black sports car? Maybe. But whatever it is, it's not going to be a happy-go-lucky-now-we're-totally-best-friends-again thing.

"So… I'm guessing you need a ride?" he offers. It kinda catches me off-guard. It's so… un-Chad I guess. Like, I know that Chad can be a sweet person: I would've never dated him if I didn't know that. But then again, there was a reason why we broke up. I'd have to cope with it, I know, because I already agreed to Mr. Condor's proposal, but… I guess accepting a ride on regular circumstances with your ex that you haven't talked to for such a long time until just today is too crazy.

But being in Hollywood for so long, I've come to the conclusion that all actors and actresses are crazy. So I guess nothing is too unnatural here.

Before I can control myself, before I can make a witty comment like old times or politely say no and get a closer friend to hitch a ride with, I shrug and say, "Uh, yeah, I guess so... Um, thanks."

He grins as he opens the door for me. "No problem."

How can he be so cool about this? As I slip into the sleek, black car and lay back in the leather passenger seat, I try to keep myself from shivering or shaking from being nervous. But obviously I can tell it doesn't work, because he offers me his leather jacket, which I politely decline.

He shrugs while putting on his seatbelt, "Suit yourself, but you look cold."

"I'm fine, I promise."

"Fine then."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

I hear his hearty chuckle as he pulls out of the parking lot and switches on the radio to his usual station, which currently plays a Maroon 5 song I can't quite identify. I look out the window, it seems like the natural thing to do at the moment. Once he gets on the road, he decides to start the conversation.

"You know, Sunshine, even if we haven't talked in four… five years, I still care about you," he says easily, so light-heartedly. I don't understand it. Just last night, this was the boy who wouldn't dare acknowledge me when discussing the idea of fake-dating.

I say quietly, almost to the point where he can't hear it. "I know."

He does catch my words though. "I told you that I'd care for you forever. I guess it was cheesy and cliché, but…"

His words sort of trail off, like he's expecting me to finish his sentence. I see it as an opportunity to say, "It's something all couples do, I guess. It doesn't mean anything."

Chad nods, considering this statement, "Well, yeah, I guess so, but I do really still care about you. In a friends way, I guess. We don't have to hate each other, Sonny."

"I don't hate you."

"Well, I know that, but…"

"I get the feeling of déjà vu."

"Sonny," he says straightforwardly. "If you don't mind me asking… what exactly happened with Danny?" At the sound of his name, I see his muscles tense up protectively, his grasp is firm on the steering wheel.

The question shocks me. First of all, I have yet to find a guy with the nerve to ask such a question if he knew what I had been through. Second, he had no business in my ex. Third, I knew what he wanted: a big, fat YOU WERE RIGHT. And he would have the license to say I TOLD YOU SO. Ugh.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes when he sees me frozen.

But if he's telling the truth, then he has every right to know. He had warned me after all. And really, if he didn't give a damn, he wouldn't have told me in the first place. Sometimes, I wish he didn't know anything. Shit.

Words fail me. But not completely. When I speak, I find a refreshing perkiness to my voice. "Let's start fresh."

He chuckles a little. "Fair enough. Hey, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, what's your name?"

"Sonny Munroe."

"Nice name."

"Thanks."

He starts to continue this banter, but stops himself. "I get the feeling of déjà vu," he says, quoting me. I let a smile creep on my lips, which I hope he can't see in the darkness. He continues, "So, Sonny, tell me about your day."

I emphasize my sigh for our role play. "Interesting. I had lunch with my ex today, which my boss wants me to have a fake relationship with. Then he called me right in the middle of practice, so I turned bright red while in the Backup Singers sketch and had to pick up my phone. So he invited me to his cast's barbeque on Friday, and Tawni's now making me pick between two swimsuits to wear."

"Hm," he says, his eyes fixed on the road, but I feel that I'm receiving his attention. "What are you picking from?"

"One-piece with polka dots versus blue bikini: top is strapless and the bottom is… stringy."

"The bikini shows more skin?"

"…Yes."

"Bikini, obviously," he says (a little too quickly). I think I catch him grinning when he says, "I happen to know your ex is going to _love_ that."

"You're such a perv," I laugh.

"I'm a man, Sonny, I can't help myself. New rule, if you are coming, you're wearing that bikini you've made me envision."

"It's in my bag."

"You wanna try it on for me? You know, when we stop?"

"Oh, you're disgusting."

"What, you think I'm just going to stare at you in a bikini all day, Munroe? I just met you, that'd be entirely inappropriate."

"Exactly," I agree.

He goes on, "Think of it more as… me testing it out for your ex," he chuckles. "I happen to know that your ex and I have a lot in common. For example, I have blue eyes, he has blue eyes. I'm on a TV show, he's on one too. So, if by seeing you in a bikini, per chance I get a boner, then it's only logical that—"

"Don't get into specifics," I interrupt, laughing. "Geez, why is this so hard to do without getting dirty?"

"That's what she said."

"Oh, shut up."

Suddenly, I feel the car stop, and I see lights. When I see the white stone columns, the palm trees, the yellow stucco, the violet flowers, brown shingles for the roof, the rustic orange tinge of the tile in the driveway, I realize we're not at my apartment. It looks like a three-story, Italian mansion.

"It's nice to be back home," Chad says as he opens the door for me.

"I thought you were dropping me off at my apartment…" I say, gripping my purse (just in case).

Chad shrugs as I hear his car chirp when he locks it. "I dunno, you just seem… stressed. I felt like you needed a night away from home. Plus, you haven't been to my house yet, so… ta-da."

I follow him as he goes up to the front door and take out his collection of keys all attached on a loop from his pocket. Five of them I recognize as car keys. Once he gets the right key, he slides it in the lock and twists it, opening the door. "This wasn't a part of the plan," I say.

"I know," he says. "But if we're really going to be in a fake-relationship and make it look real, we have to spend some time together."

"That's what the barbeque is for, right?" I ask.

"Correction," he says. "One-on-one time. Make yourself at home."

He pulls me into his home, which is nothing like the outside. The outside is clearly Italian, whereas the inside is a complete bachelor pad. The black leather couches, the dim lighting, the oddly-shaped side tables, twisted lamps, the muted color scheme, Playboy magazines scattered here and there… typical Hollywood rich guy, which is expected I guess.

"I'll get dinner, I guess." he picks up the phone. "You still like pineapple on your pizza right?"

"You don't need to get dinner…"

"Please, it's the least I can do. It's only in Cali where the pizza guy can get here faster than an ambulance," he grins. "Sit down, turn on the TV, pick out a movie… it's just you and me tonight. It's all good."

Before I can really control myself, I plop down on the couch as I listen to Chad order pizza. I grab the remote, turn on the TV, and start movie searching on Netflix. By the time the pizza's delivered and Chad grabs us some sodas from the kitchen, I've settled on _The Last Song_ as my movie choice.

I don't really know how it all happens, but I end up finishing two pieces of pizza, with a blanket on Chad and me, and my head resting on his chest. But I don't care. Because, for the first time in forever, I feel like I've finally found the solution to all my problems.

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

**So there it was! Long chapter, I know. I'll try to make it a tad shorter next time. I tried for a little Channy, and I promise there will be more in the future. I guess I can only be so creative at 2 in the morning. Remember to tell me what you think my reviewing!(:**

**Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!(:**


	6. You'll Be Safe With Me

**Yeah. It's time for an update. But first of all… **

**Oh. My. God. So many reviews, and I'm so happy! Really, when I posted it up I wasn't expecting much (considering it was 2 in the morning and I suck at updating). I guess I sort of thought that some of you would abandon the story. But no! Ah, I should have more faith in you. I love you guys. :3**

**Apologies for making the last chapter about her just choosing which swimsuit she wanted and that the Channy parts were vague, but I meant it like that, because after all, it is in Sonny's point of view and she's tired (and I was quite tired too). But I'll make up for it: here's what happened, Chad's POV.**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

_Chad's POV_

This, I say, is the last time I sleep on the couch. Or eat pizza with pineapple on it AND two whole cans of rootbeer. It's just a bad combination. Plus, my back feels like shit and my whole body feels stiff.

What time is it? I'd open my eyes if I weren't such an anti-morning person, but Thursdays are just… not my kind of day. Thursday is that pesky barrier between the weekdays and the weekends. If Monday didn't exist, Thursday would probably be my least favorite day. Even before Friday. Because even though Friday is technically the weekend, Rebecca Black has ruined it for me.

It must be an off-day. Maybe I'm just crazy. Only crazy people determine their favorite and least favorite days of the week in their head for no apparent reason.

Well, I'm officially awake. There's no chance of me falling back asleep, so I might as well get a move on: maybe fix up some breakfast for me and Sonny.

Sonny.

I fling my eyes open frantically to make sure that last night wasn't just a figment of my imagination (which it probably couldn't have been: I don't usually order pineapple pizza and sleep on my couch while watching a Miley Cyrus movie). I'm relieved when I see soft chestnut hair, her head buried into my chest perfectly. The rest of her body seems to be curled up in a little ball for warmth, and I find that my arm is over her, the blanket still intact.

I've never seen Sonny sleep before, but she looks so peaceful. It's different. Not that she isn't usually peaceful, but I wouldn't know. I haven't interacted with her for so long, haven't really engaged in deep, thorough conversation. The Sonny I last saw was a meddling, over-enthusiastic, bright, sunny, bubbly child that never had a care, full of life and energy. But to see her spark lit out is different. It's like an angel is resting.

I don't know what happened, but something like that. I was tired, but at least I had consciousness of what was happening. Poor Sonny. She's too stressed out, and her brain can't keep up with it. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't know my name today.

But even if she doesn't know quite what happened, I know that I do. I shut my eyes again, reliving the moment.

~.~.~

"You still like pineapple on your pizza, right?"

"You don't have to get dinner..."

That's when I realize how much help she needs. Turning down a real meal (something as simple as pizza), no matter how generous she is, really shocks me. I know that she's been living on soda for at least the past two years. I didn't see her eat breakfast in the cafeteria. In fact, I never do. Suddenly, I see that if I hadn't shared my lunch, she would've just had a small cup of frozen yogurt and black coffee for the entire day.

Sonny and I may have broken up, but I still care for her.

"I insist," I say. "It's really no problem. Only in Cali can the pizza guy get here faster than an ambulance." I grin at an attempt to make some sort of joke, some way to connect with a Random. They are comedians after all. "Sit down, turn on the TV, pick a movie… it's just me and you tonight. It's all good."

She analyzes the couch, then finally plants herself on it in relief I guess. She looks a little confused as she tries to figure out the TV, but she finally does. It's cute to see her figure it all out. She can't do anything without being cute. Stupid cute. At least she's still the same in that way.

I pick up the phone and dial the pizza place. Lately, I've been shying away from more expensive foods like sushi and caviar. Pizza wasn't an unnatural thing to eat. By this time, I had the local Pizza Hut's number memorized. "Lemme hear ya say heyyy! Hey Rick. Yeah, it's CDC. I need a large Hawaiian pizza… Yeah, I know, I don't usually eat pineapple... Uh huh… In fifteen minutes? That's fast… Thanks, buddy… you make me happy, haha… 'Kay then, see you in a bit."

I turn my attention back to Sonny, her eyes on the television, scrolling through the movie selections. "Hey," I clap my hands and rub them together. "You want me to get us some drinks? Maybe some champagne? Beer?"

She cracks a smile. "This is the first time we've met Cooper, and you're already trying to get me drunk? What, are you going to try to screw me before tomorrow morning? I guess I should expect as much from Hollywood's Bad Boy."

I chuckle. "Well, Miss Munroe. Believe it or not, I don't just bring random women home and fuck them. Now, do you want a drink or not?"

"I don't do alcohol… just so you know. Do you have rootbeer?" she asks.

"Of course, you want rootbeer," I say, walking to the kitchen. When we were dating, her favorite desert was rootbeer floats, so I always had a pack or two in my apartment just in case. Of course I just had to get used to it being around, so I just sort of kept buying them. Maybe in the back of my mind, I kept thinking 'She's going to come back' like old times, but hey, if you think something for so long, and you keep thinking it, it'll probably eventually come true.

"You choose a movie yet?" I call from the kitchen.

"Not yet!" she says in a sing-song voice. "I'll hurry."

"Take your time, I'm just wondering what we'll be watching tonight."

"Can we watch a chick flick? I've been having a shitty day."

"Choice is yours, Sunshine. Just don't do something like _Titanic_. It's overdone."

"Don't worry about that, we've tried watching it before and you didn't last five minutes."

As I walk in and drop a can of rootbeer in her lap, I grin as I sit next to her, "You don't know that. We just met."

I see her smile and pop open the soda, take a sip and place it on the table in front of her. The way she sits though is so… proper: back straight, folded legs, one hand in her lap while the other switches off controlling the remote and bringing rootbeer to her lips. "You know, you can get comfortable. We're probably going to be staying for a while."

"I'm comfortable enough," she assures me. "You don't have to worry so much, Chad, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. I'm perfectly fine."

"You don't _look_ fine. Well, I mean, you don't look bad, in fact you look great. It's just that you don't look… sunny."

"Just stressed, that's all."

I hesitate a little. "…You make me worry constantly. I hope you realize that. I'm SO close to having a heart attack, or something of the sort. It's very bad for my mental health."

"Well, then you don't have to pay so much attention to me." The words themselves seem to sting, but her voice is calm and gentle.

I'm about to object to trusting her, but that's when the doorbell rings. I get up to open the door and see Ricky with my highly anticipated pizza. "Hey buddy!"

"Hey," I say. "Thanks for the pizza. Short notice this time."

"Ah, it's a'ight, I'm used to it. You're not our only costumer, Cooper," he hands me the pizza. "But pineapple… that's interesting. Hawaiian is our least popular pizza, you know."

"Just in the mood for something different." I rummage in my pocket and find a twenty. "Keep the change."

He takes the money. "See you later, Cooper."

"See you."

I shut the door and take the pizza to the couch. I open up the cardboard box, grab a piece, and take a good bite out of it (I'll admit pineapple isn't TOO bad). I put the box on the table and gesture for Sonny to take some. At first she's hesitant, but she eventually takes a piece and takes a cautious bite, which is followed by another bite, then a sip of rootbeer. "It's good," she says.

I shrug as I take another bite. "Pineapple isn't the worse, I guess." I look at the TV. "_The Last Song_, huh?"

"Yeah," she nods. "I have seen bits and parts, I heard the book was good but never read it… so I guess I'll watch this. Have you seen it?"

I shrug. "Maybe once or twice. I reckon I went to the premiere of it or something. Maybe I watched it with Chastity."

"What do you think of it?"

"Eh. It's a chick flick, what do you want me to say? For a girl, it's cute, sure. It's a love story, obviously."

"Well, my love life is pretty non-existent at the moment," she says, while taking another piece of pizza and sipping her rootbeer, which is probably half empty. "This is probably just what I need."

"If you need romance…" I waggle my eyebrows at her, in a flirty way, jokingly of course. Of course…

She must get my humor, because she laughs at me, takes a bite of her pizza, and starts to play the movie. Meanwhile, I dim the lights.

Movies are nice. The thing is that it doesn't take any physical contact. You can sit with someone for however many hours, watching a movie, without talking to each other, and it can still be defined as being with each other and hanging out or going on a date or whatever you want. So it's perfect when you're on a date, and maybe conversation isn't coming to you as easily, you can always just go to a movie and save yourself and the relationship.

So watching a movie with Sonny is not awkward at all. Even if the movie happens to be a Miley Cyrus flick and a takeoff on a Nicholas Sparks book. And Sonny happens to be your ex you haven't acknowledged in forever. In fact, it's kinda nice.

In the middle of the movie, I notice that Sonny is shivering, so I get up and grab a blanket from one of the bedrooms. She tries to decline it, but I put it on her anyways. Eventually, she wraps the blanket around her more securely and tells me, "I'm tired."

I open my arms for her, and she goes into them without hesitation, her head buried into my chest. "You must be," I say.

"It's just… work isn't the best. I have no interest in it anymore. It used to be so fun and all, but now it's like, hard labor. It's like being paid to act like you're 5. I'm more mature than that."

"Sorry to hear that, sweetheart. If it helps, the Falls isn't doing so great either."

"I mean, I guess we would all lose our jobs some time, right? But I just want to leave, but I can't. Because as much as I dislike my job, what am I going to do when I leave? College? Another acting job? I don't want to be a washed-up celebrity."

"Completely understandable."

"And Danny…" she sighs. "I was so stupid. And sorry for being so defensive in the car, I couldn't help it."

"It's fine," I say. "It's not your fault. It's instinct."

"It's just that he… it was so… I can't believe I didn't see it before…" I assume she's trying to tell me the story, but by the way she trails off and stutters, I know it must be hard for her.

"You don't have to tell me, you know."

"No, I kinda do," she says. She fidgets a little, and there are a few moments of silence before she starts. "It was our two-year anniversary, and we went out to a nice dinner. We were talking about our future. Two years, it was getting serious. He was charming, and funny, and perfect in _so_ many ways. He told me that he loved me, and he had so many times before, but it was our two-year anniversary, and it meant so much more then, you know? I told him that I loved him. And I was thinking that… maybe I could prove it to him… physically."

This keeps me silent. Imagining Sonny and that pig _finally_ getting to her, finally getting to her breaking point… Seeing me speechless, she goes on. "It wasn't a foreign topic. Danny mentioned it a lot, telling me about his physical needs. I guess I didn't mind it much, I just figured it was normal for guys his age to do that. It hurt a little, but I wasn't going to let that get to me. I really did love him."

"Sonny," I manage to say, still slowly soaking in this information. "Did you…? Well, did he…?"

She sighs. "That night, he got very drunk. It was expected. I don't drink, but it was a special event, I had my first champagne. At least I could control it, but Danny was a regular alcoholic, I guess you could say. By the time dinner was finished, he didn't know half of what was going on."

She hesitates before going on. "At first I didn't realize he was drunk. He had enough of his mind left with him to be almost-normal. After paying almost double what was due, he dragged me out of the restaurant and started driving ruggedly. He's not the most careful driver either, but this time it was different, he was loopy and laughing."

"I figured that he was just being joyful because it was our anniversary," she goes on. "He stopped at a cheap motel. He already had a key, gave me a spare and had pre-bought out the room for the night, so it was all ours. He threw me on the bed, started ripping my clothes off. His words slurred, 'You're so pretty sweetheart, almost as pretty as Stephenie' and 'Michelle is good at this, I hope you're tight'. I'm not an idiot, by now, I knew he was clearly drunk. Obviously his mind was screwed up, and he was just saying random names of women. Right?"

She smiles sadly. "I knew I didn't want to do it with him. Not then, in that moment, not while he was drunk. I struggled to get my ripped-up clothes on and I left him there. Took his car, which he had technically given me permission to use whenever I wanted, and drove myself home. The next morning, when I woke up to feel that he wasn't sleeping beside me, I set out again to the motel, luckily having the spare key. But when I walked in and opened it, I saw a tan blonde whom I didn't know, completely undressed, using her mouth on… parts of his anatomy."

"'It's not what it looks like' he tried to tell me, but I knew too well to think otherwise. He wasn't drunk anymore, and he knew exactly what he was doing, and I can't believe I devoted myself to him for _two years_. It obviously wasn't the first time he did this, nope. I can tell," she gulps. "I cried for weeks at night until I would fall asleep. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true."

After a few moments of silence, I can finally steady my voice and respond, "I'm so, _so _sorry, Sonny. I wish I would've-"

She interrupts. "It's not your fault, you tried to warn me, and I didn't listen."

"It's not your fault, he'd done it to many girls before. I just wish I did something more about it. I just let you walk into his arms so easily. I should've been there to protect you all these years, at least be your friend, rather than shunning you out of my life. I should've made sure you were okay whenever I'd see you eating lunch at the Randoms' table. Yeah, it's not my fault, but knowing I could've done something…"

Silence.

Seeing that Sonny can't respond, I say, "So this means that you never actually…"

She smiles faintly at me. "I'm quite innocent. Still a virgin. Pathetic, I know. Average women my age are probably in successful relationships, maybe married by now. I'm just… I lost my balance, I guess."

"You know, it's not bad being a virgin."

"Are you one?"

I chuckle at this. "Hell no. But at least you've proven to yourself that you're going to find him. And he's out there, Sonny, believe it or not. That night in shining armor who you'll give yourself to." I pull her closer, and I lean in, my lips near her ear to make sure she hears this. "In the meantime, you have me. Fake boyfriend or self-centered ex, you'll be safe with me. And I won't let you fall."

When I lean back, I see her big chocolate brown eyes look up at me in that warm way she used to that I've missed all these years. "Promise?"

"Promise."

And somehow, we both manage to drift off. Funny to think how a Nicholas Sparks story and Hawaiian pizza melted all of our stress for one night.

_~.~.~_

"Chad?" her voice mumbles. "Chad! Wake up! We slept in, and now we're going to be late!"

~.~.~.~.~.~

**Okay, so now you know more of what happened that Sonny left out. So now you know the whole back story of Sonny and Danny… maybe things will make more sense now (because yes, you guessed it, we'll probably be seeing more of Danny). And nice thing is that now we start to see a little bit of Channy forming… you like?(;**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Remember to review and tell me what you'd like to see in future chapters, how I'm doing so far, etc. Just regular stuff like that. I hope to update sooner! Thanks again, I love you SWAC fans! I've noticed a decrease since SWAC ended, but I just need to tell you how much I appreciate you guys! I love you!(:**


	7. Sorry, Sorry: New Chapter Soon!

I… feel guilty. It's a mixture between that I forgot my password and I was too busy to write a chapter (well, I've started it, and I want it to by quite long), so I deeply apologize. I will say that I'm very much alive though! This month is the busiest month out of the year for me with debate tournaments and piano performances… it's been hard. Now I'm going into final exams, and soon it will all be over and I can continue working on more stories.

Sorry to disappoint you with no chapter, but I PROMISE that it's coming very soon! Now that I have my password and school will be out soon, there nothing stopping me(;

Love you all!


End file.
